Carl W. Kenney II is an award winning columnist and novelist. He is committed to engaging readers into a meaningful discussion related to matters that impact faith and society. He grapples with pondering the impact faith has on public space while seeking to understand how public space both hinders and enhances the walk of faith.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Places in Durham I will miss

Leaving Durham is much tougher than I thought.I knew it would be hard to say goodbye to the
city that helped mold me into the man I have become.Shucks, I don’t even recognize the dude who came
to Durham in 1988 to attend divinity school at Duke.He got lost in between pretending and
self-discovery.

I get on a plane headed to Columbia, Missouri on
October 5.My life will transform into
something unlike I’ve known before.I’m
certain I’ll find new battles to wage.I’m
not so sure about who will partner with me in the quest for justice.I’ll take it one day at a time.

Until then, I reflect on Durham.The past week has been rapt with personal
reflection of the people and places I will miss.Many have reached out to share their hope and
regret.Others have told me they will be
present on Sunday for the farewell party at the Beyu Café.

The Beyu Café.They don’t have one of those in Columbia, Missouri.There’s so much I will miss.So much that I will never be able to replace.

It’s what makes Durham unique.

So, I came up with a list of the places I will miss
the most.Each has more than a few
special memories.

10. Blue Coffee
Café.This one makes the list
because of Gwen.I love that woman.I love her faith and determination.I love that she fought through the tough year’s
downtown to stay in business.I love that
she has a business in the heart of downtown that has become a hub of all forms
of activity.

9. Duke
Gardens. The garden has been my get away spot since I landed in
Durham.Many poems have been written
there.I’ve often imaged getting married
there, but, dot, dot, and dot.Insert
missed opportunities.

8. The Carolina
Theatre.It would be higher on the
list if Connie Campanaro was still there.We formed the type of bond that made me aware of the power the arts has in
changing minds.I may miss Connie more
than the theatre, but great memories were formed there. Oh yeah, I feel in love
there.

7. Bull Durham
Blues Festival. I remember the old
days when the festival was held at the Durham Athletic Park.Everyone was there.I always left thinking, “this is what makes
Durham special.”I crave the festival
returning to its glory years.

6. Bimbe
Festival.I first attended the
festival in 1992 when Carl Washington, former director of Durham’s Parks &
Recreation Department, asked me to attend to pour libations.Washington became my best friend until his
death.I attend each year to remember
and reflect on his passion for social justice and our friendship.

5. Beyu Café. One
day Dorian Bolden, the owner of Beyu, shared his vision for Beyu.At the time he was working as a barista at
Alivia’s at Brightleaf Square. I listened, but filed the conversation in a pile
with other pipe dreams.Did he prove me
wrong!The Beyu Café has become Durham’s
hotspot for live jazz.I love the place
because of Dorian.

4. The
Regulator Bookshop. John Valentine and Tom Campbell, owners of the
Regulator, have been good friends. They
keep both of my books on the shelves and offer consistent encouragement when
they see me on 9th Street.They give meaning to “support local.”

3. Parker &
Otis. It’s the place we gather for our Saturday Morning Breakfast Club.What can I say?These folks have both changed and saved my
life over and over again.They have
loved me through tough seasons.To say I
love them is an extreme understatement.Members include: Mike Woodard, Naomi Quinn, Heather Linton, Pat Hoffman,
Chuck Watts, Amy Laura Hall, George Vaughn, Ken Duke, Bill Goldston, Al Thorn
and Pete Eastman.

2. Sincerely
Yours Salon.Glenda Jones, owner of
Sincerely Yours, maintained my locs (not dreadlocks.They are not dreadful) from the beginning
until the end a few months back.The
process of locking my hair led to an internal transformation that redefined my
life and ministry.Glenda loved me
through the process by offering support and insight that will be missed.Our friendship, like my hair, is proof that
some things may be cut from your life, but the things that matter the most
never fade away.

1. Market Street
Coffee House. Also known as my office, the former Bean Traders on 9th
Street is the home of the “Bum’s Club”.The club was formed by me and Owen Flanagan, the James B. Duke Professor
of Philosophy and Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University.Members of the club are those who give the
impression that they are bums while producing great work. Flanagan is that brother
from another mother.We refute the
notion of race and talk about differences in hue.After my surgery, Flanagan took me into his
home to take care of me.My greatest
regret in leaving is that Owen is in China teaching until Christmas.My office defines me like no other
place.There are so many friends there –
too many to count.

Each place is connected to people.That’s what I will miss about Durham - the love
and support of a community.

3 comments:

I'm sorry I can't be there. I'll have to be there in spirit. As you know, Carl, I've moved away, too. And I can tell you that there is both sadness and excitement in change. I missed you all terribly when I left. But if it's any consolation, for every Durham person and place that is so irreplaceable, there are new people and places that have their own unique value. If you are open to what's new, it can be a real growth experience. There is always the need to fight for justice, but do not forget to notice the many joys and the great beauty out there that makes it's worth the fight. Good luck in this new venture. And keep in touch. Love and respect-- Pat

As I have told you several times, I will definitely miss you here in the Bull City. You have given me needed advice, some that I didn't always listen to - yes I can have a stubborn streak as well - but in whatever my endeavors have been, such as working with the various music festivals in town or helping with the Hayti Film Festival and various other projects, you have been there as a friend and a supporter...And I know that although you will be many states away, I can count on keeping in touch with you and us working on new projects both here and throughout the country if not the world....

Total Pageviews

Carl W. Kenney II

Carl was named the best serious columnist of 2011 by the North Carolina Press Association for his work with the News & Observer's community paper The Durham News and in 2016 by the Missouri Press Association for his columns in the Columbia Missourian. He is a columnist with the News & Observer and Co-Executive Producer of "God of the Oppressed" an upcoming documentary film on black liberation theology. He is a former Adjunct Professor at the University of Missouri - School of Journalism and Adjunct Instructor at Duke University, the Center for Documentary Studies. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He furthered his education at Duke University and attained a Master of Divinity. He was named a Fellow in Pastoral Leadership Development at the Princeton Theological Seminary on May 14, 2005. He is a freelance writer with his commentary appearing in The Washington Post, Religious News Services,The Independent Weekly and The Durham Herald-Sun. Carl is the author of two novels: “Preacha’ Man” and the sequel “Backslide”.
He has led congregations in Missouri and North Carolina